


Albus Potter and the Crush on His Best Friend | A Scorbus One-shot

by ablondeweasley



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-23
Updated: 2016-08-23
Packaged: 2018-08-10 16:11:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7852060
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ablondeweasley/pseuds/ablondeweasley
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry's battles, in the original seven books, were always simple, and with two outcomes: beat Voldemort or die. Albus struggles with something much more complicated...<br/>(A looooong Scorbus one-shot.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Albus Potter and the Crush on His Best Friend | A Scorbus One-shot

“Today we’ll be partnering with Professor Prang for a special two-hour Defense Against the Dark Arts/Potions class! You will be testing the Veritaserum you made last week by consuming some and then being questioned, so all of you will understand what being under the influence of it is like, should you come across it again. Of course, Madam Pomfrey is on hand just in case your potions were brewed incorrectly, and you will be awarded House Points for your success. This is going to be so much fun!” Slughorn boomed from the head of the classroom.  
Albus shrank into himself. Of course potions class with Slughorn would turn into a demented version of Truth or Dare.  
“Do we really have to do this?”  
Al turned to Scorpius, who was slumped in his seat. Albus was surprised, he had thought Scorpius liked this sort of thing, being a complete nerd and all. Then again, no one wanted to share their innermost secrets.  
“This’ll be fun! And since I’m feeling nice today… everyone gets to choose their partners!” Slughorn spread his hands widely as if expecting praise for his generosity, and his mustache jumped as he grinned. Everyone seemed to relax at that. So they would only be questioned by their best friend. That wasn’t too bad.  
Scorpius turned to Al, not even needing to ask.  
“Okay, so do you want to go first, or should I?” Scorpius had that squinty look that he got when he was worried, and Al realized that he had a secret too. Well, it definitely couldn’t be as bad as mine. He thought.  
“I-I’ll go.” Al grabbed the vial of Veritaserum he had made and bottled last month (as it the potion needed to mature for a full lunar phase) quickly, carefully depositing two drops into the provided pumpkin juice, and gulping it down the way one did cod oil or medicine. Scorp was chewing on his hair nervously and jiggling his knee up and down, but he was smiling slightly.  
Al closed his eyes, preparing for the worst.  
“Alright then. Let’s start off simple, what’s your middle name?”  
“Scorp. C’mon. That’s boring, you know it already!”  
Scorpius sat up and smirked, “I know, I know, I’m just testing to make sure you made the Veritaserum right. ”  
Al rolled his eyes, something he had picked up from Scorpius.  
When Scorpius asked again he started to feel a pressure inside of him, hot and heavy, slowly building. It began below his stomach, but was spreading slowly through his body. Some of it seemed to bubble up and into his throat, nearly making him gag.  
Say it, the pressure seemed to be urging him, tell the truth….  
Al’s mouth opened, “Severus.”  
The pressure was instantly gone, and Albus drew in a deep breath.  
Scorpius sat forward, “Good. Okay. Who do you fancy?”  
“Scorp!” Al was taken aback. “Why this?”  
Scorpius’ tone was light, but his eyes looked worried. “I dunno. Just answer!” Scorp wasn’t the only one who wanted him to answer. The pressure was building up again, but this time it was painful.  
“I-I dunno, I guess.”  
Scorp frowned slightly. “Is it Alisa Prewitt?”  
“Erm, no.”  
“Liza Devins?”  
“No.”  
“Emietta Dawson?”  
“No!”  
“Is it any girl in this school?”  
“No-no.” Al choked out, the pressure constricting his breathing and making him nauseous.  
“Merlin, Al-oh!” Scorp’s eyes widened, and he licked his lips. “Is-Is it a girl at all?” He whispered, his grey eyes as dark as the Great Hall ceiling on a stormy day.  
The pressure was up to his ears, and it felt like his eardrums might explode.  
“No!” Al cried out, “No. It’s not a girl.” The pressure lessened, but was still there, weighing him down.Scorp let out a deep breath, shaking his platinum blonde head slowly and loosening his Slytherin tie.  
“Never mind, Al. You don’t need to answer that question. That’s enough.”  
The pressure gone, Al sat there, panting, watching Scorpius’ hands. His fingers were long, pale, and manicured. Al knew without touching them that they were soft, and there were light calluses on his palm and on the pads of his fingers.  
Those hands were the only thing of Scorpius he could watch. Albus wasn’t sure if he could ever meet Scorpius’ eyes again.  
Scorp cleared his throat, “I guess it’s my turn now,” and got up. Al knew without looking that Scorpius was flushed, probably worrying away at his lips. He wondered what Scorpius was thinking.  
He came back a moment later, and Al still didn’t look up. Scorp set the small vial down, eyeing it warily, instead of just getting it over with like Al had. Al could practically hear the gears turning in his head. Scorp had always been more Slytherin than Al.  
Then, in one go, the pumpkin juice was gone. And Al had to look up.Scorpius was flushed, and he was biting his lip apprehensively. His eyes were smiling. He didn’t look angry. He didn’t look ashamed. But Al had to make sure.  
“You do-don’t think any less of me?” He whispered.  
Scorp smiled slowly, and in that second Al loved him more than he ever had. Wait, where did that come from?  
“Because you’re gay?” Scorpius teased gently, “Or because you crack so easily under pressure?”  
Al smiled too, even though he could feel his heart racing in his chest. What the hell was going on?  
“I-I actually, Al. I’m gay too.” Wait, what? If Scorpius hadn’t been under Veritaserum, Albus would never have believed him.  
“Oh.” was all Albus could manage. Discovering that your best friend had the same huge secret as you is quite unnerving. But relieving, in a way. Wait-  
“Oh! But I thought you liked Rose?” Al was confused again.  
“Merlin, Al. That was in, like, fourth year. And I’m bi.”  
“Oh! But you just said you were, erm, gay?” Al was still confused.  
“‘Gay’ is an umbrella term. Honestly, Al.”  
“Oh.” Al said again, and he was grinning for some reason. The kind of grin that shows all your teeth and makes your face bright red.Scorp raised a perfect blond eyebrow, but he was grinning too. They just sat there, grinning, when Al realized he hadn’t asked Scorp any questions.  
“Well, then. Who do you fancy?” Al leaned forward, watching as Scorpius’ smile quickly went out.  
Did I do something wrong? Al thought worriedly.  
“Actually, Al-”  
“Oh, look at the time!” Slughorn had cast a Reloxo from the front of the classroom, and its golden hands and delicate numbers emitted long shadows on the classroom walls, “Class dismissed!” Scorpius looked relieved, and he grabbed his books and was out the door before Albus could open his mouth to apologize. And that was probably just as well, because Albus didn’t even know what he would be apologizing for.

***

It had been two weeks, and Scorpius had come out to the entire school in the most Slytherin way possible: sneaking into the Kitchens and spelling all the cakes rainbow, frosting on the words “Scorpius Malfoy is bisexual.” He was quite nervous in the beginning. He wasn’t really worried about what the other students would say, but more of what his parents would think. In the end, that didn’t stop him. Scorp really could’ve been in Gryffindor.  
After his cake escapade and back in the common room with Al, Scorp planted the seeds for the argument of the week week: the “Al, This Is Your Chance to Come Out, Too” arguement.  
“Scorp, you can’t be serious!” Al whined through a mouthful of toast and jam, four days later at breakfast. Trying and failing to shut down the discussion for like the millionth time this week. The blonde boy next to him just smirked and finished his pumpkin juice.  
“Oh, but I am.” he said, also for the millionth time this week.  
“Please, Scorp!” Al gave him the Potter Puppy Face, looking up at his friend from under his thick bangs and widening his green eyes.  
“Stop it, Al. You know that doesn’t work on me.” Scorpius’ grey eyes were laughing.  
“Fine.” Al gave the Potter Pouty Face a go. Scorp’s eye roll was extravagant, his irises almost completely hidden under his lids.  
“I’m serious, Al-”  
“No, I’m Sirius.” James cut in, stuffing his pockets with the last of the Slytherins’ chocolate chip muffins and giving them a shit-eating grin.  
“For the last time, James, that’s not funny. And you Gryffindors have your own muffins!” Al tried to give him a push, but James darted quickly away, an impressive feat for someone balancing fifteen muffins. Then again, he was the best Quidditch player Hogwarts had seen since their dad. (Not that Al would ever admit that to his face.)  
“But I agree with Scorp, Al,” James yelled over his shoulder, running into a pretty fourth year, “you should come out!”  
Time seemed to slow down as the usual Great Hall chatter ceased, and everyone turned to look at them. Albus swore he saw his life flash before his eyes. Then he reasoned, oh, this is a nightmare. He started frantically pinching himself. When he didn’t miraculously wake up, it dawned on him. James had just outed him in front of the entire bloody school. How did James even know in the first place?  
Well, fuck. Albus burst into flames and died on the spot.

***

Albus woke up to white. A white bed, with white bedclothes, thin, white curtains all around him, and white itchy pajamas. Well, that was the hospital wing for you. Clean and extremely white. But why was he here? Oh, right. That. Actually. Fucking. Happened. He was just about to sit up, tell Madame Pomfrey he was fine, (well except for having bloody lost his the little pride he had ), when he thought maybe he’d want to postpone facing the rest of the world for at least a little longer. He wanted to prepare for the situation, instead of just throwing himself headfirst into it like a bloody Gryffindor. As he lay back onto the pillows, and realized just how itchy the pajamas were, he heard footsteps coming his way.  
“Merlin, he’s going to be so bloody mad at you!” It appeared Scorp had come to visit him. “And you deserve every fucking bit of it, James.”  
“Well, in a way, I made it easier for everyone,” Albus could hear James, his arsehole of a brother, “now Al doesn’t have to bother with coming out, and you two no longer have to argue!”  
James and Scorp appeared to be going at it; Al could just make out their outlines through the hospital bed’s curtains.  
“But it was Al’s choice, you great prat! You always make everything about you! You don’t care about how Al feels at all! And did you even check on that poor fourth year you ran into on your way out?” James waved his hand, as if to swat Scorpius’ arguments away,  
“I was going to, but there’s really no need. I bet running into me was the highlight of her day.”  
“There you go again!” Scorp threw his hands up, exasperated, “Making everything about you! Merlin, I can’t even imagine what growing up with you was like for Al!”  
Al peeked through the crack in the curtains just in time to see James shrink slightly, narrowing his eyes.  
“And there you go again,” his words were quiet, but laced with venom, “making everything about Al.” Scorp’s mouth dropped open, and James continued. “You know, I’m not blind. Everyone can bloody see how you feel about him.”  
Al couldn’t help himself. His gasp broke the silence, and the two heads at his bedside turned to him.  
He didn’t even try to feign sleep when Scorp pulled back the bedside curtains.  
James was beet red, and Scorp-well, Scorp was twice as pale as usual, which was saying something.  
No one said a word.  
“Is it true, then?” Al wasn’t quite sure he had said it out loud, it came out so bloody quiet.  
Scorp looked down, his lips pressed so tightly together they seemed to have disappeared. He nodded.  
Well, fuck. Al thought for the second time that day. And promptly passed out again.

***

When Albus awoke again, it was dark. Al had always liked nighttime in the castle. Everything was quiet, and peaceful; the portraits were all asleep, and the common room fire was warm. The Slytherin common room, as it was in the dungeons, always had a quiet drip, drip, drip in the background. If you listened closely enough, it sounded soothingly like rain.  
He sat up, eyes adjusting slowly. Merlin, it was hot. The Hospital Wing’s pajamas were made of thick flannel and were extremely itchy. Al undid the buttons of his pinstripe pajama top and pulled it off in one smooth motion, dropping it at the end of his bed. That was better. He pulled back the curtain, reaching for the glass of water he knew was on the bedside table-  
Merlin. Someone was asleep in the chair by his bed. Someone who’s platinum blond hair glinted in the moonlight. Someone who….fuck. It all came back to him. The embarrassing moment in the Great Hall, and then later with James and Scorpius...Merlin. Al had no idea what to do. Slowly, as if moving around a dangerous animal, he grabbed the glass of water, and then receded back into his bed. He pulled the curtain back quickly, but he could still hear Scorpius’ deep breathing. Sipping the water, heart thudding, he tried to collect himself. There was no way around it. He had to open the curtain again to put the glass of water back.  
Trepidatiously, Al pulled back the curtain once more, reaching for the bedside table. He was concentrating so hard on not making any noise when-  
“Albus!” A quiet surprise from a voice thick with sleep. Al, wide eyed, realized how he was basically in Scorpius’ lap, shirtless. He wanted to explain, protest maybe, “It’s the glass of water’s fault!” but he couldn’t.  
“Look, Al. I’m really sorry. And I know that I’ve basically ruined our...our friendship. I just wanted to make sure you were okay. I’ll go…”  
Scorpius made no move to leave, however. Possibly because he couldn’t, with the shirtless Al in his lap.  
Merlin.  
The day in Potions Class came back to him. How Scorp had been so nice, so distracting….(wait, what?) And he tried not to think about how soft Scorp’s jumper was on his bare skin, or how Scorp smelled wonderfully nice, like something citrusy. Or how Al was totally freaking out being this close to him, and hyper-aware of it all. It hit him like a Knockback Jinx. He liked Scorpius. He liked Scorpius. And maybe just not liked...Merlin. Oh, and Scorpius liked him back.  
He swallowed hard, readying himself. Because Al knew when to give up, to stop resisting, unlike his Father. To stop denying. He knew he was screwed. All he could think about was how suddenly years of moments were making a horrible sort of sense. Snippets of memories flashed behind his eyes:  
Scorpius, at the edge of the Forbidden Forest, “All I ever wanted was to go to Hogwarts and have a mate to get up to mayhem with. Just like Harry Potter. And I got his son. How crazily fortunate is that?”  
“But I’m nothing like my dad.” All Albus did was stare into Scorp’s confident eyes. “You’re better. You’re my best friend Albus.”  
Scorpius whispering quietly in the dark, “I didn’t like my life much without you in it either.”  
Scorpius smiling, Scorpius laughing, Scorpius-  
“Don’t.”  
“Don’t what?” Scorpius drew a sharp intake of breath, and Albus felt it.  
“Don’t go. Please.”  
Scorpius’ brow furrowed, and Albus could feel his heartbeat getting faster and faster. Or maybe that was his own.  
“I’m sorry, Scorp. You remember Potions?”  
“How could I forget?” Scorpius drawled dryly. There was his Scorpius.  
“I-It’s you.”  
“What’s me?”  
“I hadn’t thought I...fancied anyone yet. I mean, specifically. But I just realized now. It’s you”  
Scorpius’ eyes widened, his body stiffening. Then slowly, gently, he reached out. Albus held still, not sure what he was going to do.  
Scorpius cautiously carded his fingers through Albus's hair. Albus closed his eyes, leaning into the touch, and Scorp let out a shaky breath.  
“You really mean it, Al?”  
Al snorted, pulling himself so he was directly in Scorpius’ lap, gently grabbed the other boy’s chin and kissed him.  
Scorpius made a strangled sound into his mouth, fingers tightening on Albus’ bare shoulders. He kissed back immediately, moving his mouth against Albus’ in the most amazing way, and making the softest little noises, kissing hard and almost desperate, and gasped when Albus bit his bottom lip.  
Merlin. Al was kissing Scorpius. Al was kissing Scorpius.  
Al inched his tongue into the warmth of Scorpius’ mouth, feeling the edge of his teeth. Bloody Hell. Scorpius tasted of pumpkin juice and chocolate (Al suspected that was because of himself; Al’s dad always thought that chocolate was the answer to everything) and something sweeter.  
There noses bumped, and Scorpius gave a husky laugh. The kind that only muggle smokers and sick people have. And Merlin.  
They finally pulled back after a few fevered minutes, catching their breath.  
They stayed nose to nose, inches away, just breathing the same air.  
Al had just kissed Scorpius.  
“Merlin’s beard, Al. You don’t know how long I’ve been waiting for that.” Scorpius’ eyes were half closed, his kissed lips in a small smile.  
“How long, Scorp?”  
The dark grey eyes opened. “What, Albus?”  
“How long?”  
“Oh, I don’t know.” Scorpius pulled his arms back from around Albus’ neck and crossed them across his chest, and Al very much missed those arms. Al wanted to kiss him again. Very badly. Scorpius sighed and continued. “Since the end of fourth year, I guess. When I realized that Rose was never going to like me back, and a lot of the things I saw in her were the same I see in you.”  
Oh, poor Scorp. Pining after an oblivious Al. Poor, poor Scorp.  
“Except for the boobs.” Al needed to make light of the situation, otherwise he would in no way be talking about his cousin’s boobs.  
Scorpius laughed, and Al had to kiss him again.  
“I’m so sorry, Scorp.” He said, when they paused to catch their breath again. Al twisted his fingers in the holes between the buttons and flannel in Scorp’s pajama top. The skin there felt almost feverish, and Al heard Scorpius’ breath catch. “I’m so sorry I was such an idiot.”  
Scorpius smiled slowly, “It’s part of your charm.”  
Al laughed quietly, but then grew serious.  
“I really, really like you Scorp. And I don’t want to mess this up.”  
“Neither do I Al.” Scorpius was blushing again. “But what exactly does ‘this’ entail?”  
Al smirked. “‘This’ means that I get to hold your hand at breakfast, just like this.” Al took Scorpius’ hand, brushing his thumb against his wrist. “It means I get to sit in your lap, just like this.” Al scootched around a bit, and Scorpius groaned. “It means I get to touch you, just like this.” Al slid his hands up Scorpius shirt, feeling the soft skin and slight muscles beneath it. “And,” Al whispered in his ear, “it means I get to kiss you, just like this.” Al kissed him fiercely, like Scorpius was air and Al was drowning, like Scorpius was water and Al was dying of thirst, like...like Scorpius was Scorpius and Al was Al, because that was the way it was supposed to be.  
“How much?”  
“As much as you want.”  
“Really?”  
“Really.”  
“Wow.”  
“I know right. Oh, and one more thing. It means I get to call you ‘boyfriend.’”  
“That’s all well and good, Al, but what if I want to call you ‘honey’ or ‘sugar’ or-”  
“Well, you can’t. Too bad, Scorp. It ends there.”  
Scorpius did a bad impression of the Potter Pouty face. “Aww, really?”  
“No.”  
“Then where does it end?”  
Al leaned forward, resting his chin on Scorpius’ shoulder. “It doesn’t.”

***

Madam Poppy Pomfrey took a few swigs of her Wideye Potion, rubbing at the headache that still wouldn’t go away despite two whole potions. All-nighters never got any easier, especially when they involved a patient who needed Skele-Gro. Thankfully poor Sophia Peakes had finally gotten to sleep, and now Poppy could check on the rest of her patients, specifically the ones who weren’t in the girls’ section of the New Hospital Wing.  
She ambled through the rows of white curtain-cladded beds, checking patients off a mental list as she went:  
Tyler Abbot, check.  
Oliver Higgs, check.  
Jack Calderon, check.  
Jacob Carter, check.  
Thomas Finnegan, check.  
George Tuft, check.  
William Selwyn, check.  
Albus Potter-Merlin!  
Albus Potter certainly was there, but he was also accompanied by someone else! The Potter boy lay curled up with none other than Scorpius Malfoy, and they both appeared to be...nude. Merlin! Well, those two had always been like bowtruckles on doxy eggs, so this was no surprise, but...Poppy most definitely did not like happening upon situations like this! Situations where there had clearly been...oh, Merlin.  
Maybe it was because she had been so particularly over-tired, or maybe because she had drank too many Headache potions, but, for whatever the reason, right then Poppy started to laugh. It wasn’t a tame laugh, oh, no. It was the type of laugh that involved snorting, tears, and the possibility of falling on the floor. Ever since Albus and Scorpius had become friends, Poppy had been glad. Glad that the Potter-Malfoy feud was now over. But this? This new...development was hilarious! What would their fathers think? Oh, Poppy wanted to see the look on Draco Malfoy’s face when he heard about this!


End file.
